TeHononga

Festivals invariably support the essential wellbeing of people and place. Auckland Arts Festival celebrates the diverse voices and aspirations of our First Nations communities through Te Hononga.

Taking place during the Festival, Te Hononga gathers Indigenous theatremakers, dancers and creatives for industry workshops, replenishing theatre, delicious kai and robust kōrero with leading Festival artists. 

Te Hononga participants ideally self-identify themselves as local and visiting Indigenous theatre makers, dancers and creatives.

Most events are free, however registration is essential. Register HERE
Some events are application only. Details are below.

For all enquiries
Email Whetu Silver – Programme Assistant or Dolina Wehipeihana – Head of Programming 

PROGRAMME 

THURSDAY 12 MARCH
10.00pm Networking Drinks | Aotea Square 
Te Hononga kicks off with kai, kōrero and a kapu tī, pia or waina at the Festival hub in Aotea Square.  Join us to chat, chill and connect following the performance of ILBIJERRI Theatre Company and Te Rēhia Theatre Company's BLACK TIES. 

FRIDAY 13 MARCH
10.00am Artist Pōwhiri | Spiegeltent by Four Points Auckland, Aotea Square
Te Hononga participants are invited to join the Festival’s Artist Pōwhiri where mana whenua of Tāmaki Makaurau lead our welcome for Festival artists to Aotearoa.  

1.00pm – 5.00pm Afternoon Sessions: all take place in the Waitākere Room, Aotea Centre

1.00pm Welcome and Keynote Speaker:  Tanea Heke - Director of Hāpai Productions and Toi Whakaari:  NZ Drama School

1.45pm – 3.00pm
Artist Kōrero – Ka Ora Ai Te Iwi

Nōu te rourou, Nāku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi – From your food-basket and mine comes the well-being of the people.
Hear from Indigenous Festival Directors as they share from the 'food baskets' of their own reflections and experiences.
What happens when generosity becomes a burden? How do we maintain our own well-being while also feeding the hungry demands of the industry?

Chaired by Tama Waipara (Te Tairāwhiti Festival, Creative Associate Auckland Arts Festival) with panellists Hone Kouka (Kia Mau Festival), Margo Kane (Talking Stick Festival, Vancouver Turtle Island), and Cian Elyse White (Aronui Indigenous Festival).  

3.15pm – 4.30pm
Artist Kōrero –  Who Needs to Heal the World?

As Indigenous people continue to uplift global consciousness in the devastating wake of climate change, colonisation, historic injustice and embedded systemic racism - what role are today’s artists forced to play to create work that is healing, educating, inspiring and entertaining.

Meet artists working on cross-cultural Indigenous collaborations ranging from a large scale five-centre Festival tour, to a creative development lab on the whenua. What stories are we telling, what journeys are we on?

Chaired by Mīria George  (Tawata Productions),  with panellists Amber Curreen (Te Rēhia Theatre with ILBIJERRI Theatre / BLACK TIES), Taane Mete (collaborating with Kahnyen’kehàka artist Santee Smith / Whenua Creation Lab), Moss Patterson (collaborating with Indigenous Taiwanese choreographer Bulareyaung Pargarlava).

4.30pm – 5.00pm
Sharpen Up!

Tomorrow's influencers show us how it’s done!

How do we navigate and de-col spaces whilst creating new pathways towards future realities? We are the navigators, forever moving, forever seeking new frequencies of space and time that uplift, energise and heal through the arts.

A quick fire session with Elyssia Ra’nee Wilson-Heti (Basement Theatre Producer in Residency, Activist, Mover and Disobedient Disruptor, Fafswag Performer), Whetu Silver (Director, Theatre Practitioner, Writer and Matariki @ Basement Curator) Kaan Hiini (Pride Board & Designer at Curative) and Gaby Solomona to read a poem from the show UPU. 

SATURDAY 14 MARCH
All events take place at Corban Estate Arts Centre 

9.00am | Te Pou Theatre
Welcome / Mihimihi 

9.30am – 11.00am | Te Pou Theatre
Workshop – Dramaturgy Our Way

Rachael Maza (ILBIJERRI Theatre Company) and Amber Curreen (Te Pou and Te Rēhia Theatre Company) lead a discussion around dramaturgy for Indigenous playwrights and their works. How is dramaturgical practice shaped to whakamana indigenous stories?

Join an open discussion as we share our experiences and work towards greater understanding of how to best support our stories and storytellers.

This workshop is targeted at Indigenous playwrights, directors and actors.
Workshop is free, but applications are essential. Please apply HERE.  Places are strictly limited.
Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 6 March.

11.30am – 1.00pm  | Opanuku Studio
Masterclass with Joel Bray 

In this masterclass, Joel unpacks the creative process he used in creating Biladurang, including building highly specific ‘bodily texture scores’ through improvisation, exploring the confessional/autobiographical form and weaving spoken text with movement into a seamless whole.

This masterclass is targeted at choreographers, professional dancers, physical theatre makers or artists working in other forms where embodiment is part of their practice.

Workshop is free, but applications are essential. Please apply HERE.  Places are strictly limited.

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 6 March..

1.00pm – 2.00pm | Te Pou Theatre
Lunch 

2.00pm – 5.00pm (times vary) | Lower Homestead
Super-hero Readings

Deep inside all of us there is an inner Superhero... just waiting to be discovered. What hidden abilities do you have within you? What superpowers are there, just waiting to be activated?
How can you use these gifts to better your life... and the lives of the people around you?
Find out all of this and more when you book your Superhero Reading with Tapahia Heke... The Superhero Reader.

Book in for a 10 minute reading – guaranteed fun, healing and Superhero!
Cost: Koha
Spaces limited and bookings essential Book HERE

2.00pm - 5.00pm / St. Michaels Church
Traditional Maori Healing with Tracey-Leigh Te Paa

Te Hononga offers an essential space for hauora to the practised on all levels. Tracey-Leigh and her team will be offering short 20min healing sessions encompassing various traditional maori healing modalities. These ancient healing practises of rongoā incorporating mirimiri to guide and connect to the energetic spiritual realms, romiromi to activate and release emotional blockages from the cellular memory within the physical body and plant medicine to correct the imbalance of a person ā wairua, ā tinana, ā hinengaro.  

No registration necessary, only $20 per session and all you have to do is head along to the space on the day to book in your session.

2.00pm – 3.00pm | Opanuku Studio
Māori Mindfulness with Cathy Livermore

Māori Mindfulness directs us towards remembering and re-activating ancient, timeless practices of cultivating ORA (life-giving wellness). Embodying Te Ao Māori healing traditions and cultural philosophy, Cathy translates old and time-tested knowledge into practical and unique approaches for accessing each person’s abilities to create and live in well-being today. These deeply profound, yet fun and simple practices, are accessible and relatable to any person of any background, while giving participants a refreshing view into the Māori world.

Using easy movement, breathing and sound techniques we will align, energise, transform and settle your presence with these daily practices that support, manage and care for the well-being of your full self; tinana/body, hinengaro/mind and wairua/spirit.

Places limited and registrations essential. Book HERE
Please wear comfortable clothing you can move in

3.30pm – 5.00pm | Opanuku Studio
Hauora Whakamuri / Yoga with Taane Mete

Wellbeing to retreat inwards, dance, yoga and embodiment is the framework of this practice. Waiata and karakia becomes the music of the practice.  Taane Mete has cultivated three decades of refining his artform, focusing his life's work towards Hauora.

Activating  a nurturing space to turn inwards and listen from within. Drawing a focus to the breath allows you to observe at a much deeper level. Shapeshifting embodied movement that is slowed down cultivates fuller awareness of where the mind goes and how the body moves.
Dance, Yoga and embodiment is the framework of this practice.    

Places limited and registrations essential. Book HERE
Please wear comfortable clothing you can move in

5.00pm Close

Showtime: Evening Performances 
A range of Auckland Arts Festival events and performances take place during the dates of Te Hononga. Discounts are available to selected performances for Te Hononga participants.

Ōtairongo | 6 March – 16 May
FREE

UPU | 5- 15 March
$25 industry tickets available on Tuesday 10 March 7.30pm. Book HERE

Biladurang | 11–15 & 18–22 March 
No discount available

BLACK TIES | 11 - 15 March
$25 tickets available on Friday 13 March 7.30pm and Sat 14 March 2.30pm (10 only so be quick)

To book, email [email protected]